Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Sion Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Sion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,653 in Basel versus $2,809 in Sion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,857 in Basel versus $4,764 in Sion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,062 in Basel versus $6,719 in Sion.

Living in Basel is roughly 30% more expensive than Sion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 173% above, Sion 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.72 CHF 24.22

$30.49 CHF 24.04

0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$156 CHF 123

$122 CHF 96.0

27.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.37 CHF 15.27

$18.18 CHF 14.33

6.55%

Cappuccino

$6.75 CHF 5.32

$4.59 CHF 3.62

47.06%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 CHF 4.47

$5.12 CHF 4.03

10.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 CHF 3.96

$4.23 CHF 3.33

18.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.95

$7.17 CHF 5.65

40.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.87

$7.45 CHF 5.88

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.77

$1.83 CHF 1.44

22.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.73 CHF 2.94

$3.86 CHF 3.04

-3.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.99 CHF 3.94

$4.92 CHF 3.88

1.42%

Eggs

$8.16 CHF 6.44

$5.96 CHF 4.70

36.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.67 CHF 22.60

$28.37 CHF 22.37

1.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$35.93 CHF 28.33

$23.36 CHF 18.41

53.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.12 CHF 34.00

$44.20 CHF 34.85

-2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CHF 3.14

$3.40 CHF 2.68

17.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 CHF 2.05

$2.74 CHF 2.16

-5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 CHF 3.35

$3.59 CHF 2.83

18.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.96 CHF 5.49

$6.13 CHF 4.84

13.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 CHF 2.55

$3.15 CHF 2.48

2.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 CHF 2.32

$2.98 CHF 2.35

-1.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 1.98

$2.54 CHF 2.01

-1.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CHF 1.22

$1.20 CHF 0.95

29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 CHF 9.21

$11.20 CHF 8.83

4.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 CHF 10.89

$14.06 CHF 11.09

-1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 CHF 1.88

$1.87 CHF 1.47

27.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CHF 2.49

$1.86 CHF 1.46

69.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.58 CHF 3.61

$5.28 CHF 4.16

-13.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 CHF 82.4

$187 CHF 147

-43.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.99 CHF 6.30

$6.20 CHF 4.89

28.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.31 CHF 3.40

$4.26 CHF 3.36

1.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.8

$49.76 CHF 39.23

75.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.75

$2.22 CHF 1.75

0.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$40.4K CHF 31.9K

$40.0K CHF 31.5K

1.03%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$44.3K CHF 34.9K

$38.4K CHF 30.3K

15.37%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$306 CHF 241

$309 CHF 243

-0.80%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.5 CHF 42.20

$37.41 CHF 29.50

43.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 46.40

$60.4 CHF 47.62

-2.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.3 CHF 71.2

$138 CHF 109

-34.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.50 CHF 33.51

$54.6 CHF 43.07

-22.20%

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 17.91

$22.52 CHF 17.76

0.89%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,574 CHF 2,029

$994 CHF 783

159.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 26.8K

$35.0K CHF 27.6K

-2.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$134 CHF 105

$135 CHF 107

-1.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$61.3 CHF 48.34

44.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$181 CHF 143

$161 CHF 127

12.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$227 CHF 179

$225 CHF 177

0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 CHF 1,665

$857 CHF 676

146.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 CHF 1,197

$743 CHF 586

104.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,828 CHF 3,018

$1,701 CHF 1,341

125.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,802 CHF 2,209

$1,888 CHF 1,488

48.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.1K CHF 15.0K

$7,796 CHF 6,147

144.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.2K CHF 11.2K

$5,773 CHF 4,551

146.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,292 CHF 6,537

$6,200 CHF 4,888

33.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.55

2.5

2.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Basel: May 31, 2026

Last update for Sion: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Basel and $857 in Sion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 34% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $156 in Basel vs $122 in Sion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $685 vs $595 per month, with Sion cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Basel vs Sion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sion wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Basel pays 34% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Basel versus $857 in Sion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,574 in Basel versus $994 in Sion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Basel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,809 in Sion versus $3,653 in Basel, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sion but tight or insufficient in Basel. The gap between the two cities makes Sion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,809 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Sion are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.